Michael Coleman has hurtled through his career rodeo-style, and with clients such as James Hewitt and the Hamiltons, he isn’t about to fall off For those of you watching the television news closely over the summer, Michael Coleman’s face should look familiar. He was caught up in the top story of silly season, the Hamiltons’ […]
Michael Skrein, head of media litigation at Richards Butler, has a thing for the television detective Colombo. And the similarities go beyond his litigation tactic of faking sudden recollection of something at the last minute to off-balance the main suspect.He also dons a similarly dishevelled raincoat, which was the focus of one client’s particular attention. […]
The Law Society has put equal opportunities and diversity issues right at the top of its agenda for its forthcoming year. The new board, established during last year’s reform programme, has taken on equal opportunities and diversity as key objectives for the year. In fact, the whole council debated the issue at a major conference […]
Travers Smith Braithwaite has scooped a new client for its telecoms, media and technology (TMT) department from under the nose of Addleshaw Booth & Co. The firm is advising Transense Technologies on a bonus issue aimed at improving liquidity and increasing the marketability of its shares.The company, which is developing sensors for cars to alert […]
On the subject of those zany guys at Lovells, King Zany himself Bob Kidby has just returned from his six-month sabbatical spent travelling across the US and also laying down some tracks with his group Clarence King and the Regents.However, it seems that he has not entirely switched back into pinstripe-suit mode, as opposed to […]
In an apparent bid to save the public purse as much money as possible, the National Health Service Litigation Authority (NHSLA) undertook a panel review at the beginning of the year. Following a review in April 1998, the number of panel firms has been cut from 90 to just 15 in three years.While “gatekeeper” firms […]
Michael Leyland looks at recent developments in personal injury and clinical negligence law Two significant developments have taken place within the last year, affecting all personal injury (PI) and clinical negligence lawyers. The Lord Chancellor, Lord Irvine’s setting of a 2.5 per cent discount rate on damages instantly affected ongoing PI claims, and the Court […]
The new Partnership Register is a step towards the recognition of gay couple’s rights. Jon Robins meets the lawyers campaigning for change When Ian Burford and Alex Cannell became the first gay couple to have their relationship recognised formally by the state earlier this month, they were keen to point out that this was no […]
Can Microsoft convince the European Commission that it’s not really anticompetitive? Christopher Norall investigates The new Statement of Objections (SO) issued by the European Comm-ission on 30 August – along with the two-year investigation that preceded it – is an important milestone in the efforts of antitrust authorities on both sides of the Atlantic to […]
Charles Russell has pulled off a victory in the European Court of Justice in a test case concerning pubs tied to breweries. Litigation partner Rupert Croft is representing publican Bernie Crehan in a test case against his landlord Inntrepreneur and former brewers Courage.Crehan is claiming damages for losses caused to him by beer ties that […]
Simmons & Simmons in Paris has taken on a corporate and arbitration partner from French firm Bignon & Lebray. Friedrich Niggemann, who joined Simmons at the beginning of September, will head the office’s arbitration practice.Niggemann will be bringing a number of clients with him, including major building companies in Germany, a number of German engineering […]
Baker & McKenzie (B&M) has lost the head of its Italian project finance practice to boutique firm and Slaughter and May best friend Macchi di Cellere Gangemi. Marco Padovan joined B&M just over a year ago after 14 years as a chief counsel at the European Investment Bank (EIB). But Padovan said that, in his […]